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Sports Quote of the Day:
"There are three types of football players. First, there are those who are winners and know they are winners. Then there are the losers who know they're losers. Then there are those who aren't winners but don't know it. They're the ones for me. They never quit trying. They're the soul of our game." ~ Paul "Bear" Bryant, Legendary University of Alabama Football Coach
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Jets bracing for Bears' big wide receivers.
By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. (AP Sports Writer)
And from what Ryan and the New York Jets' defense have seen, they know they'll have their hands full with those big, bad Bears receivers.
''Sometimes they just throw it up there,'' Ryan said. ''Sometimes there are timing (routes). ... A lot of times it's like, 'Hey, run behind the Buick, I'll throw it to you.' They have two monsters and they don't mind feeding it to them, regardless of what your coverage looks like.''
Press-man coverage, zone coverage, whatever. The 6-foot-4 Brandon Marshall and 6-3 Alshon Jeffery cause opponents fits, and they'll be looking to do more of the same against the Jets (1-1) when the Bears (1-1) come to MetLife Stadium on Monday night.
Both Marshall (ankle) and Jeffery (hamstring) were listed as questionable Saturday - but they were in the same position last week and both played. Marshall looked especially healthy last Sunday night when he caught three touchdown passes and helped the Bears roar back for a 28-20 comeback win at San Francisco.
''They're both big receivers,'' Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said. ''They both can go up and catch the football. They both know how to box you out. They're both strong. They're built. They both can make one-handed, spectacular catches down the field.''
Other than all that, they should be no problem to defend.
Yeah, sure.
Marshall has 13 catches for 119 yards with four touchdowns, while Jeffery has eight receptions for 118 yards.
Oh, and the Jets will also have to be fully aware of playmaking 6-6 tight Martellus Bennett, who leads the Bears with 15 catches and has two TDs.
''They have a group of receivers that can get down the field and create mismatches,'' Thurman said. ''You've got to go up, fight them and contest them for the football and hope you win your share of them. Obviously, versus most teams, they win their share.''
Having an unsettled situation in the secondary also isn't ideal for the Jets. Top cornerback Dee Milliner is doubtful for the game as he deals with ankle and quadriceps injuries that kept him out of practice Friday and Saturday.
Milliner, who suffered a high ankle sprain on Aug. 10 during training camp, missed the season opener against Oakland but then played last week at Green Bay. He was done for the day after allowing Jordy Nelson to score on an 80-yard touchdown catch.
Converted safety Antonio Allen and Darrin Walls are expected to start for the third straight game and will have to try to keep Marshall and Jeffery - and Bennett - from having huge games in the passing game. The Jets' front seven will also be counted on to put lots of pressure on Cutler, forcing him into making mistakes.
''They give you a lot of looks up front, which takes time as a quarterback,'' Cutler said. ''It takes your eyes off the secondary because you have to worry about where they are coming from. Are you going to be picked up? Are you going to be hot? And that just takes away a click or two you have that you could be reading the secondary and finding your routes. So, it's a tricky defense.''
But it's also one that knows it needs to buckle down after allowing Aaron Rodgers to throw for 346 yards - 209 to Nelson - and three touchdowns last week. The Jets are facing a stretch of pass-happy opponents that doesn't get much easier after Monday night.
Detroit, San Diego, Denver and New England are next, so Chicago will provide a good test as to where New York's defense is. The Jets are ranked third in overall defense, helped by their No. 1 spot against the run. But they're also a mediocre 17th against the pass.
''Hopefully, if you're stopping the run, you're pretty decent on second down against the pass,'' linebacker Calvin Pace said. ''And that way, on third down, you can kind of make them a little bit more one-sided. You can pin your ears back and go.''
Not that that will be a given against the Bears. Matt Forte is one of the league's top dual threats, a running back who can rush for 100-plus yards and make plays catching short passes and turning them into big gains.
''We're not sleeping on the fact that he's in their backfield,'' Thurman said. ''Our No. 1 objective almost every week is to stop the run first and then play good pass defense and not let the ball go over our head.''
Bears-Jets RB Viewer's Guide: Forte can tire Jets front.
By John Mullin
Before last Sunday night the Bears had been 0-9 in games when Matt Forte rushes for fewer than 40 yards. They prevailed against the San Francisco 49ers in large part because the defense twice got the ball for the offense in field positions where even an ineffective run game could be overcome, particularly with quarterback Jay Cutler completing 13 of his 14 second-half passes.
Neither of those huge positives can be counted upon against the New York Jets.
That said, if the Bears have struggled to get Forte on track, there’s a reason. And it may not get any easier this week. The Buffalo Bills stand fifth in rushing yards allowed; the San Francisco 49ers are seventh.
The New York Jets are No. 1 fewest rushing yards allowed through two games, and sixth in rushing average against them. Oakland and Green Bay managed a combined 2.8 yards per carry against the Jets; no team has run the ball into the end zone yet against them; and the longest run against the Jets is 12 yards.
The problem with the Jets is that while the blitzing of Rex Ryan is a threat to pass protections, it also is done with an eye toward throttling the run game.
“We have to deal with those odd fronts, those blitz fronts in the running game as well,” said coach Marc Trestman. “So it’s just part of the process of matching up and having answers to plays when they give you adjustments that you may not be prepared for in a sense that it may be different than the week before but it will handle those situations.”
Keep a special eye on: how the Bears get Forte away from traffic.
The San Francisco defense was able to contain Forte running the football. But the Bears targeted Forte eight times — matching the throw totals to Martellus Bennett and Brandon Marshall — and stretched out the San Francisco defense, which managed one sack, early in the second quarter, and then none after that.
The primary Jets front four weigh 294-315-350-290. Running at that kind of mass is problematic. Stretching it out and forcing it to run horizontally early can tire out a unit for a second half run, literally and figuratively.
FYI: Here's What A Beer Will Cost You At Every NFL Stadium This Season.
By Cork Gaines
The average cost for a small draft beer at NFL games this season is $7.53, according to data collected by Team Marketing Report from each team. That's up from $7.05 in 2013.
The increase comes despite the introduction of a $4.50 beer in St. Louis, where the Rams now have the cheapest beer in the NFL. On the other hand, the fans of the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers must pay more than $10 for the cheapest beer at those games.
Of course, the $4.50 beer at Rams games and the $5 beers in other NFL stadiums are small sizes. If we consider the size of the beer, the most expensive beer is in Philadelphia, where the smallest beer costs 71 cents per ounce. The Cincinnati Bengals offer the cheapest beer per ounce, with a 14-ounce beer costing just $5 (36 cents per ounce).
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Dallas Stars Daily Links: Chicago Is Still Going to Be Chicago.
By Robert Tiffin
(Photo SBNation.com)
Are the 'Hawks still as scary as they were last year? Read on to find out, or just say, "Yes, of course they are" and go back to playing Destiny. Also, the Flyers have a new old jersey again, and Joe Sakic tightens his grip on the mile high city. It's a very friendly-yet-professional grip.
For the past few years, Dallas has usually not enjoyed games against Chicago. After amassing what seems like forty-six first overall picks in the last ten years, the formerly woebegone Blackhawks quickly turned into the powerhouse of powerhouses, displaying their dominance most clearly in the lockout-shortened season of 2013. That year they went 36-7-5 in only 48 games. That's equivalent to winning 61 games in a full season.
Speaking of Chicago, this happened:
It bears remembering that the Hawks outshot Dallas I think 50-18 that game and still lost. It puts a certain type of grin on my face when I type those numbers.
Anyway, the Blackhawks. They've been good, they just fell short of their third cup in the last five years, and they will be good this year. How good will Dallas's most formidable conference foe be this year, though? TSN looked at the team yesterday as part of their season preview, and here are a couple of quotes I found interesting from the story:
The one key difference for the team comes down the middle. With Michal Handzus departing, the 'Hawks brought aboard veteran center Brad Richards to take his place in the top nine.
Richards, for the first time in his career, transitions into the role of a complementary piece. Gone are the pressures of a nine-year, $58.5 million contract to live up to, the 34-year-old comes to the Blackhawks at a modest $2 million salary and could slot in to either second or third-line duty, behind Toews and Andrew Shaw. No matter the role, Richards should have the chance to line with up some talented linemates, in the likes of Hossa, Bryan Bickell and Brandon Saad.
Richards should still be productive if he's playing with Kane, which is equally true about the four pine cones sitting on my porch right now. Really, I'm more interested to see if Richards's line slows down to accommodate him and his skills. Will they be able to drive possession with force? I don't know, stop asking me that all the time. But I do think I would be a bit uneasy about Richards's role if I were a Chicago fan. Kane will be Kane whoever he plays with, but #19/91 has been declining for a few years now, and it's questionable whether he will be able to play in their number one power play unit this year. Given his salary, Chicago certainly shouldn't feel compelled to give him minutes his play doesn't warrant, but tell that to almost every coach in the league that continues to choose the veterans because they are veterans. Of course, it also bears mentioning that Brad Richards is still a pretty productive player, all things considered, and the fact is Chicago could stash him on the fourth line if they wanted to and not really worry about it. When your worst problem is your third defense pairing and where to put a $2 million Brad Richards, you are probably a terrifying team. You are probably the Chicago Blackhawks.
Besides, that's not the new center I'm really worried about when it comes to playing Chicago this year. Again, from TSN:
Teuvo Teravainen has the rare gift of 360 degree vision. Seeing all possibilities is one thing when it comes to play making but he has the ability to select the play that is most threatening to an opponent. At the same time he has a precision that makes it very difficult to deter him.
With he and Jonathan Toews, the Hawks have the potential for a lethal one-two center combination that will keep them contending for Stanley Cups for years.
I think there's a chance that Teravainen is seeing more minutes at center than Richards by the all-star break, although he shouldn't be seeing #2 minutes ahead of Shaw. If Richards actually manages to hold down the #3 center role ahead of Teuvo, though, I will be scared, because it means Richards has found a way to reanimate his long-fading elite skill. The smart money, inexperience aside, seems to be on the kid to continue doing things like this.
In other words, Dallas will have to keep raising the bar on their side before they can count on owning the pivot in the Central Division. Chicago has cap issues looming, but they're no fools. You'll continue to see ridiculous talent on that team this year just like we have in the past. This is what an arms race feels like.
Hawks storyline: Quest for cup
By Scott Powers
Championship banners are the measure of success for a Blackhawks season these days. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Stanley Cup is where the Chicago Blackhawks measure their seasons these days. They're successful if they win it. Anything else is a disappointment.
The Blackhawks were disappointed last season. While they exceeded their third-place regular-season finish in the Central, knocked off the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild in the first two rounds and were a goal away from reaching the Stanley Cup finals again, the 2013-14 season will be remembered by the Blackhawks as a missed opportunity to repeat as champions.
"There's so many things that go through your mind," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said after last season. "The what ifs and little things that could've gone differently, how confident we would be as a team if we were getting ready to play a game tomorrow about our chances to win another Stanley Cup. We were this close. We've been there before.
"Some other guys have said it, I've said it too, that when you win a Stanley Cup you get that feeling, that taste for what it's like and then you really realize what you're missing and how special it is, not only what it's like to parade around the city of Chicago with the Stanley Cup but just the feeling of being in that room and celebrating a great job with the guys you've been working so hard with for a long, long time. This is pretty much the opposite of that, and I guess maybe you learn something from that too and maybe it makes you even hungrier."
The Blackhawks will need more than hunger to get through the Central, unseat the defending champion Los Angeles Kings and capture another Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks will rely on many of the same faces again, but there will be some tweaks this season.
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman addressed one of the biggest issues last season and signed veteran Brad Richards to center the second line and add depth down the middle. With Toews, Richards, Andrew Shaw, Marcus Kruger, Peter Regin and possibly Teuvo Teravainen, the Blackhawks have more options at center than they did a season ago. That was an area where the Kings outplayed them in the Western Conference finals.
"I think you can never have enough centermen," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said in July. "I think your depth at the blue line, your depth at the middle always impacts and exposes over the course of a season and challenges you. I'll been comfortable having guys that have versatility in playing wing and center.
"And having that ability and that depth over a course of a season, you look at L.A.'s four centermen with experience and proveness [sic] down the middle, strength at the faceoff circle, that's probably the elite four-man center package you're going to find throughout the league. I really like the centermen we have and the ability to play in different roles and in different situations and comfortable with both sides of the offense and defensive responsibilities."
A top line of Patrick Sharp, Toews and Marian Hossa followed by a line of Brandon Saad, Richards and Patrick Kane gives the Blackhawks two elite lines again. The Blackhawks are hopeful Bryan Bickell can translate his playoff success to the regular season and provide them a top-6 forward on the third line.
Bowman and Quenneville have commented they're going to give Jeremy Morin a larger role this season. Morin's offensive numbers were among the team's best when he got a chance to play last season. The Blackhawks are also optimistic Kris Versteeg returns this season as the player they hoped he would be when they acquired last season. They also return key role players Shaw, Kruger and Ben Smith.
Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Johnny Oduya and Nick Leddy lead an experienced defenseman group. In net, Corey Crawford returns and will seek to be more consistent, but he proved again in the playoffs last season he can carry the team if needed. His six-year, $36 million contract goes into effect this season.
All in all, the Blackhawks like their chances of making another Cup run.
"It's always exciting to be part of a group that has a chance to win a Cup," Keith said on Thursday. "You look around the league and there's so many good teams, especially in our conference, in our division. But you look around the room and you look at your teammates, and it's definitely an exciting feeling knowing the opportunity that is there.
"You've been in situations before, like at the start of my career when there wasn't much talk of Stanley Cups, it was more of just try to get to the playoffs and go from there. But we have high expectations, and I think everybody on the team enjoys that challenge and having that type of expectation."
Hawks storyline: Crawford in net
By Scott Powers
Corey Crawford was one of the primary reasons why the Chicago Blackhawks reached the Western Conference finals last season.
He was extraordinary in net through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Without his 34-save shutout against the St. Louis Blues in Game 3 of their first-round series, the Blackhawks likely don’t advance to the second round. All told, Crawford stopped 351 of 377 shots for a .931 save percentage in the first two rounds.
The seven games of the Western Conference finals weren’t as kind to Crawford. He allowed 26 goals and had a .878 save percentage against the Los Angeles Kings in the series.
Crawford wasn’t to blame for all of the goals, but he took responsibility for the end result. If the Blackhawks are going to make another Stanley Cup run, they need him to be better.
“It wasn't good enough,” the 29-year-old Crawford said after last season of his own play. "We lost. It was too many goals. Take away the Game 2, that was a blowout in the third period. That couldn't happen, but it did. They seemed to get a lot of traffic in front of the net. I felt pretty much all year I was pretty strong battling through traffic and finding pucks, and that was probably the worst part of my game in that series.”
After an up-and-down 2013-14, Crawford will be aiming for more consistency this season. He struggled early in the season and had .907 save percentage through his first 27 games. He went down with an injury in December and was a different player when he returned in January, posting a .926 save percent over the final regular-season 32 games. He finished with a .917 save percentage, which put him 15th in the league among goalies with at least 40 games.
Crawford is expected to shoulder a heavy starting load again this season. It would be beneficial both to him and the Blackhawks if Antti Raanta became more comfortable in the backup role. Raanta’s struggles as the No. 2 goalie late last season didn’t allow Crawford much rest -- a change from the previous season, in which the balance between Ray Emery and Crawford was key to Chicago's regular-season success.
Hawks storyline: Richards impact
By Scott Powers
The Chicago Blackhawks will have some positions to sort out in training camp, but they finally have someone they can mark down as their second-line center.
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman took care of that in the offseason by signing Brad Richards to a one-year deal. The Blackhawks offered Richards another chance to win a Stanley Cup, and Richards offered the Blackhawks a veteran center at an affordable price.
"It was important for us to try to get some depth at that position," Bowman said during the offseason. "Obviously, Brad is more than depth. He's an established, experienced player. I just think you can never have too many guys who can play in the middle."
The Blackhawks have been missing a steady second-line center in recent years. They tried everyone from Dave Bolland to Michal Handzus to Brandon Pirri to Ben Smith to Marcus Kruger to Andrew Shaw to even Brandon Saad. Some of the centers had more success than others, but none were permanent solutions.
Richards might not be permanent himself for the entire season, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville already has said he expects Richards to start there. That's progress considering Quenneville was toying with the idea of Saad as the second-line center during last year's training camp. Whether Richards remains there will depend on how his 34-year-old body holds up over the course of the season and whether the organization's top prospect, Teuvo Teravainen, proves to be ready.
Richards will be one of the more offensive centers Patrick Kane has played with on the second line in recent seasons. Richards has recorded 60-plus points in 10 NHL seasons and is coming off a season where he had 20 goals and 51 points for the New York Rangers.
Richards was second on the Rangers with 8.79 shots per 60 minutes last season, but he likely will shoot a little less and become more of a distributor with Kane and Brandon Saad on his wings. He's recorded 50-plus assists four times in his career.
"I've watched these guys play the last 6-7 years," Richards said during the offseason. "Patrick Kane is one of the most explosive players in the league. It's not just him. It's a great group that's been together and knows how to win. When you get a chance to maybe team up with one of those players on a line, whoever is on your line, it makes you feel pretty excited. I can't wait to get to work and try to make it a great experience for everybody."
Hawks storyline: Defense return to form
By Scott Powers
Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville hit the panic button with his defensemen by the end of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Kings last season. After pairing Johnny Oduya with Niklas Hjalmarsson, Duncan Keith with Brent Seabrook and Nick Leddy with a rotating player all season long, Quenneville decided the Blackhawks needed a change. He paired Hjalmarsson and Keith, Oduya and Seabrook and Leddy and Michal Rozsival. The late move didn't help. The Blackhawks kept allowing goals to the Kings and dropped the series. The Kings were held to just one goal in Game 1 of the series, but averaged 4.5 goals over the remaining six games. While the Blackhawks' offense produced, especially late in the series with 13 goals in the final three games, it wasn't enough.
The blame can be pointed all around from the defensemen to the forwards to the goaltending, but the Blackhawks weren't as solid defensively as they were the season before, and it cost them. The Blackhawks will look to get back to their 2012-2013 defensive form this season.
The Blackhawks held opponents to 2.02 goals per game during the 2012-2013 regular season and 2.09 goals during their Stanley Cup run. Last season, those totals rose to 2.58 goals in the regular season and 2.90 goals in the playoffs. Opponents averaged 31.2 shots a game against the Blackhawks during the playoffs last season.
"I look back a year ago and we were the No. 1 team in the league in defense and had the lowest goals-against average and won a Cup," Quenneville said after last season. "And this year we had a tough start to keeping the puck out of our net, and I think our penalty-killing got stabilized and all of a sudden those numbers were better and I always feel in this league you win by how well you check and how well you play defensively, and I always think our team can score enough goals to win hockey games, and in this last series we did score enough goals to win and we didn't win.
"So that's the area that we've got to make sure that we have awareness around our net and the willingness to get there, make it hard and [whether] it's the bounces or clearing loose pucks, but you know, maybe a little tighter in the detail department in that area could've been the differential."
The Blackhawks' defensive struggles could also be seen in their possession numbers. Their Corsi close percentage (shot differential with the game tied or within a goal in 5-on-5 situations) was 50.1 against the St. Louis Blues in the first round, 49.7 against the Minnesota Wild in the second round and 47.8 against the Kings in the Western Conference finals. The Blackhawks had an average Corsi percentage of 54.9 through all four playoff rounds in 2013.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session… Could Bulls rookies get bigger opportunities than expected?
By Aggrey Sam
Under normal circumstances, NBA novices coming to Chicago wouldn’t be expected to play any significant roles, whether due to the Bulls typically holding a low draft pick or simply by virtue of Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau’s preference for playing veterans.
But this season is different, as the team’s rookie trio—first-round draft pick Doug McDermott, European import Nikola Mirotic and second-round pick Cameron Bairstow—come in more well suited to contribute to a deep, experienced team than most. Sure, maybe Bairstow won’t play a ton of minutes—essentially, the New Mexico product via Australia, is the replacement for departed 2013 second-round pick Erik Murphy, though the bruiser’s physical style of play might be a better fit for the Bulls than his predecessor—but McDermott, last season’s college basketball player of the year, is no ordinary rookie and the same can be said for Mirotic, regarded by some observers as the top player in Europe the last few years.
McDermott, in particular, will get an opportunity to play, as he fills a clear need for the Bulls, outside shooting, and with his impressive pedigree—a coach’s son, the fifth-leading all-time scorer in college basketball history has held his own the past two summers playing with the USA Basketball Select Team, under the watchful gaze of Thibodeau, who doubles as a national team assistant coach—the former Creighton star enters the league about as polished as a rookie can get, a major reason the organization was willing to give up so much to trade for the 11th overall pick in June’s draft. The fact that he plays small forward, not necessarily the Bulls’ deepest position, helps his cause, as incumbent starter Mike Dunleavy Jr. is best utilized when not having to play heavy minutes at this stage of his career and while starting shooting guard Jimmy Butler can play both wing positions, perimeter marksmanship isn’t his strong suit.
While McDermott will need to improve his individual defense, his high basketball I.Q. enables him to make up for his lack of athleticism and as he displayed in July’s NBA summer league, he has more to his game than just spot-up shooting. Already equipped with a catchy nickname, expect “Dougie McBuckets” to not only become a fan favorite by knocking down open shots off Derrick Rose’s penetration and smart passing from big men Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol, but also surprise smaller defenders with his ability to use his size to score on the interior, especially in post-up scenarios.
Mirotic, who the Bulls drafted back in 2011, has blossomed into a legitimate star playing for Spanish club team Real Madrid in the ACB, viewed by many as the top league in the world aside from the NBA. The native of Montenegro, who bought out his contract in order to come to the States—a clear indication that he doesn’t intend to just be a bench player—can function as a stretch power forward, but like McDermott, his skill set is more diverse than just shooting the ball, as he can play both inside and outside, though gaining strength and improving defense are also priorities. Unlike McDermott, however, he doesn’t arrive with Thibodeau’s stamp of pre-approval and playing behind the likes of Gasol and sixth man Taj Gibson, an established pseudo-starter, playing time could be scarce from the outset of Mirotic’s career in the States, despite all of his overseas accolades.
But it should be noted that Mirotic, who b predicament is similar to that of Omer Asik, currently playing in New Orleans. Thibodeau was privately skeptical of the former Bulls backup center’s ability early in his rookie year, too, and he was stuck behind Noah and grizzled veteran Kurt Thomas, but injuries to Carlos Boozer and later in the season, Noah, forced the coach to shake up the Bulls’ rotation, afforded Asik the opportunity to play and by the end of the campaign, he was finishing playoff games alongside Gibson, eventually leading to the Turkish shot-blocker securing a lucrative free-agent deal from Houston and cementing a reputation as one of the league’s most underrated paint protectors and rebounding forces. On the surface, without assuming there will be injuries to frontcourt mainstays, it doesn’t appear that there’s more than spot minutes available for Mirotic, though given his combination of talent and high-level experience—not to mention work ethic, as he’s already impressed team staffers on hand to see him work out while Thibodeau and Rose are in Spain for the FIBA World Cup—it shouldn’t be a complete surprise to see him carve out a niche for himself in the upcoming campaign.
As for Bairstow, the Aussie has a much slimmer chance to make an impact as a rookie, but knowing his track record, he’s probably fine with outsiders doubting what he’s capable of accomplish. A seldom-used reserve as a college freshman, an anonymous role player as a sophomore and a solid, but unspectacular contributor his junior year, the former and current teammate of second-year Bulls swingman Tony Snell broke out last season at New Mexico, leading the Mountain West Conference in scoring.
Bairstow’s continued improvement was undoubtedly accelerated by his participation on the Australian national team, something he did again this past summer, playing a backup role for the squad in the FIBA World Cup. It’s unlikely that he plays much outside of blowout situations, but rugged interior game and mid-range jumper make him an intriguing developing prospect as a role player, if not for the Bulls, then elsewhere in the NBA down the line, as was evidenced by his consistent production at summer league in Las Vegas.
Even if none of the rookie trio makes a big splash immediately, the fact that the Bulls, already a veteran-laden team before bringing in Gasol, made a concerted effort to bring in some offensively-skilled young players who simultaneously address the team’s biggest hole, provide depth and help build for the future is a plus, but it shouldn’t be unexpected if both McDermott and Mirotic periodically show glimpses of great things to come.
Hinrich, lower-profile players boost Bulls' depth.
By Aggrey Sam
As much as Derrick Rose coming back from injury again and the addition of Pau Gasol are being touted, one of the reasons the Bulls are expected to contend this season is the team’s depth.
The first names that come to mind when it comes to the Bulls’ role players are the likes of All-Star center Joakim Noah, fellow NBA All-Defensive Team member Jimmy Butler, sixth man Taj Gibson and even rookies Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic. But also important to the team’s are rotation players flying under the radar, such as incumbent starting small forward Mike Dunleavy Jr., veteran floor general Kirk Hinrich, second-year swingman Tony Snell and newcomer Aaron Brooks.
Dunleavy, originally signed as a backup to fellow Duke product Luol Deng, emerged as a steady option last season, showcasing his outside shooting, the attribute of his game he’s known best for, but also displaying his underrated team defense by seemingly drawing an offensive foul every other game. The veteran is a skilled offensive player, relying on spot-up shooting, smart passing and moving without the ball, but his intangibles were also crucial to the Bulls, as his toughness, solid rebounding and aforementioned defense fit right in on a team that has made that aspect of the game its trademark under Tom Thibodeau. He also proved to be durable last season, but in the upcoming campaign, he could see his minutes dip, as Butler can play both wing positions — he might actually be more of a natural small forward — and McDermott’s talent will likely necessitate playing time, though that could make Dunleavy more effective, as health was a career-long concern for him prior to arriving in Chicago.
Like Dunleavy, Hinrich was uncharacteristically healthy last season, even as he served as the injured Rose’s replacement in the starting lineup for the second straight year. At this stage of his career, Hinrich is no longer a major scoring threat, but his ability to run the show, get teammates involve and defend either guard position make him extremely valuable to the Bulls, who re-signed him in free agency. Hinrich has good chemistry with Rose, allowing him to both back up and play in the backcourt alongside the former league MVP — enabling the Chicago native to play either on or off the ball — and while he’s a favorite of Thibodeau’s in late-game situations for his poise, his chemistry with Gibson and Dunleavy on the second unit should also make the team’s bench effective, potentially harkening back to the short-lived “Bench Mob” era of a few years ago.
Snell played more than most Bulls rookies under Thibodeau — partially out of need, following Deng’s trade to Cleveland — but as last season went on, his minutes were inconsistent, despite showing glimpses of the talent that made him somewhat of a surprise 2013 first-round pick coming out of New Mexico. After spending a lot of time this offseason working on both his game and spindly frame, however, the long wing put together a stellar performance in July at the NBA’s summer league in Las Vegas, playing with more confidence, in addition to being a legitimate deep threat, versatile defender and aggressive, athletic slasher. Although Butler will have a heavy workload at both wing positions, Hinrich will play some shooting guard in reserve, and Dunleavy and McDermott will split time at small forward, Snell’s upward trajectory, athleticism and defensive potential will make it difficult to keep him out of the rotation.
The well-traveled Brooks, who played in both Denver and Houston last season — similar to former Bulls fan favorite Nate Robinson, another diminutive scoring point guard from Seattle, he’s bounced around the league, including stops in Phoenix, Sacramento, two separate stints in Houston and even playing in China during the last NBA lockout — is yet another in the line of instant-offense scorers, following in the footsteps of Robinson, D.J. Augustin, John Lucas III and C.J. Watson. Exactly how he’ll be utilized on such a deep team isn’t certain at this point, but with his track record of being able to light up the scoreboard (he averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 assists for the Rockets in the 2009-10 campaign and after being traded to the Nuggets last season, his per-game numbers were 11.9 points and 5.2 assists backing up starter Ty Lawson), it’s hard to imagine Brooks not making an impact in Chicago. With his quickness, deep range and creativity off the dribble, at the very least, he can be a change-of-pace point guard and possibly pair with either Rose or Hinrich in a smallish backcourt for stretches.
These lower-profile players aren’t the names fans and even observers around the league will be checking for when the regular season rolls around, but when Thibodeau has depth, he tends to use it well and just like the role players on the Bench Mob, they could create some indelible memories for a team with the potential to be just as successful as the squads Thibodeau coached in his first two years at the helm.
Bulls: Jimmy Butler entering a crucial campaign.
By Aggrey Sam
As a seldom-used NBA rookie, Jimmy Butler was an afterthought on a loaded veteran team with a crowded wing rotation. As a second-year player, the defensive-minded swingman cracked the rotation and over the course of a campaign in which the Bulls suffered myriad injuries, Butler received more and more playing time. By the second round of the playoffs, the Marquette product was starting and played a full 48 minutes in three consecutive games, while having the defensive assignment of guarding LeBron James.
That stretch rightfully raised expectations for Butler heading into last season, especially because his offense — never the strongest aspect of his game — seemed to be developing into at least serviceable, as he showed the ability to knock down open perimeter jumpers the previous postseason. But the Texas native seemed to regress somewhat last season, putting an emphasis on launching outside shots, which resulted in paltry shooting numbers.
To his credit, however, Butler did take another step defensively, becoming the Bulls’ top perimeter defender and earning second-team NBA All-Defensive Team honors at season’s end. It’s not like he’s a lost cause offensively either, as he has the size to punish smaller defenders around the basket, particularly as an offensive rebounder, and can finish above the rim in both transition — his ability to play the passing lanes is a means of creating offense — and as a slasher in half-court situations.
Additionally, with less pressure on him to be a scorer because of the Bulls’ revamped roster (the return of Derrick Rose to the lineup, acquiring Pau Gasol in free agency and drafting Doug McDermott), Butler should receive even less defensive attention and receive easier opportunities.
At the same time, it’s understood that this is a crucial campaign for the athletic wing, heading into his fourth professional season. He’s eligible to sign an early contract extension with the Bulls just before the beginning of the regular season and while the franchise clearly values his contributions, what Butler and his representatives think he’s worth and what the organization is willing to pay to retain him could be a bit apart, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. That would make Butler a restricted free agent next summer and allow the Bulls to match any potential offers he garners on the open market.
This is a fairly commonplace scenario, as it makes sense for the Bulls to evaluate whether Butler can evolve into the solid, sometimes dynamic two-way player he showed flashes of back in the 2013 playoffs, or if he’s simply a defensive specialist, which is still an important role, but not necessarily one comparable to other young swingmen who got paid this offseason, such as Lance Stephenson, Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons, among others.
Butler will likely be the Bulls’ fifth option offensively in the starting lineup — Joakim Noah could score less, but have the ball in his hands more, and incumbent starter Mike Dunleavy Jr. is more likely to have plays run for him to facilitate open shots — and though he’s always hung his hat on the defensive end of the floor, internally, it would be only natural for him to want to show that he’s capable offensively, showing the entire league (assuming he doesn’t agree to an extension this fall) that the second half of his second season was no fluke. Accepting his role in the pecking order is one thing, but when he does have opportunities, even as Rose, Noah and Gasol get more attention, whether or not Butler can be a legitimate scoring threat moving forward could shape the direction of his future.
Cubs ready to make a big play for pitching.
By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs know they can’t just get by on change-of-scenery guys and sign-and-flip deals, planning to make a huge investment in their rotation either this offseason and/or next winter.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a $2 billion franchise with an Opening Day payroll that soared to $235 million. They’re guaranteed a playoff spot, but a first-place team still needed a bullpen game to get through the season’s second-to-last weekend.
That again shows the cliché is true: You can never have enough pitching. Even when it’s in your DNA, from Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, to Tommy John’s breakthrough surgery, to international stars like Fernando Valenzuela and Hideo Nomo. Orel Hershiser even watched from the SportsNet LA booth inside Wrigley Field’s press box.
A series that began with Cy Young Award winners Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw ended with Jamey Wright making a spot start on Sunday and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly going mix-and-match with five more relievers to secure an 8-5 victory.
Theo Epstein’s front office hasn’t signed its Greinke or developed its Kershaw, and got outbid for South Korean lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, who’s been sidelined with a shoulder injury. The total bill for that Big Three is projected at more than $420 million.
The Cubs have found great value in free agents Paul Maholm, Scott Feldman and Jason Hammel, relying on a blend of scouting and analytics and leaning on coaches Chris Bosio (pitching) and Mike Borzello (catching/strategy).
Edwin Jackson’s $52 million contract is a sunk cost, but the Cubs will have to (at least) double that investment if they want to get serious about October and land a top-of-the-rotation starter. It’s absolutely worth trying, but it’s not realistic to think they’ll keep hitting on old names from the Baseball America prospect lists and discount arms recovering from injuries.
The Cubs haven’t been grabbing elite pitchers at the top of the draft, using first-round picks on Javier Baez, Albert Almora, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber across the last four years. They cashed in their most valuable trade chip this summer (Jeff Samardzija) to get another shortstop (Addison Russell).
The idea being the Cubs could build a monster core of position players during a time of stricter drug testing, digital-video databases, incredibly detailed advance scouting reports and bullpens stocked with multiple relievers throwing close to 100 mph.
If you have one of the game’s better lineups – in an environment where power is fading and offense is down – can you win with an average pitching staff?
“I think you can,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “The challenge is that average pitching staff can become below average in a hurry. I think a below-average pitching staff and an above-average offense isn’t going to work. But I do think the team that is probably average in run prevention – and really hits the ball in this day and age – probably does work.
“It’s a hard needle to thread, because if you try to go for average, and you end up on the other side of that – the wrong side of that – it’s not a lot of fun to watch.”
Jacob Turner (5-11, 6.25 ERA) wasn’t exactly entertaining on Sunday, making it through five innings, giving up five runs, four earned, and having trouble slowing down Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez and Matt Kemp.
After getting designated for assignment by the Miami Marlins, Turner became another reclamation project, the ninth overall pick in the 2009 draft the Detroit Tigers used to get Anibal Sanchez.
Between Turner, Felix Doubront and Dan Straily, the Cubs keep collecting pitchers who’ve experienced some success in the big leagues, without firmly establishing themselves for whatever reason. Doubront earned a World Series ring with the Boston Red Sox last year. Straily appeared in the American League’s Rookie of the Year voting with the Oakland A’s last season.
The Cubs also view Eric Jokisch as a future option for the rotation. The 25-year-old lefty out of Northwestern University put up a 3.58 ERA in 26 starts at Triple-A Iowa this season.
For now, Jake Arrieta (9-5, 2.65 ERA) keeps flirting with no-hitters, while Kyle Hendricks (7-2, 2.28 ERA) continues to impress with his poise, consistency and sneaky athleticism. Arrieta’s big-time confidence and Hendricks’ Dartmouth College education make you think they’ll find a way to stick.
“You always want pitching,” Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. “We’ve got guys that have come through the minor-league system that are pitching well and developing, so we also need to give those guys credit down there for everything they’re doing.
“We’ve got places to look, to turn to (and) I know that Jed and Theo will do what they need to do in order to continue to put us ahead. We’ll just wait to see what those things are.”
The Cubs aren't as rich as the Dodgers, but they have enough financial flexibility that the Jon Lester sweepstakes will dominate the hot-stove headlines in Chicago, and enough trade chips that they shouldn't be counted out of any big deals.
Golf: I got a club for that… Ryder Cup at a glance.
AP
Facts and figures for the Ryder Cup:
Event: 40th Ryder Cup matches.
Date: Sept. 26-28.
The course: The PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles Resort was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1993 as The Monarch's Course. It has been revamped and renamed ahead of the Ryder Cup. It has hosted a European Tour event since 1999. The course plays as a par 72 at 7,243 yards. The 16th and 18th holes are par 5s that are easily reachable in two shots.
Format: Four matches of fourballs (better ball) and foursomes (alternate shot) on Friday and Saturday, 12 singles matches on Sunday.
Points: Europe needs 14 points to retain the cup. The United States needs 14½ points to win the cup.
Series: United States leads 25-12-2.
Last time: In what has been called the "Miracle at Medinah," Europe produced the greatest comeback for a visiting team when it rallied from a 10-6 deficit to win, 14½-13½. Ian Poulter began the rally Saturday night with birdies on his last five holes to win a four balls match and cut the U.S. lead to four points. In Sunday singles, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and Poulter each won the last two holes of their matches for 1-up victories to lead the rally. Poulter went 4-0 for the week.
Captains: Tom Watson (United States), Paul McGinley (Europe).
European roster: Thomas Bjorn, Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson, Stephen Gallacher, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood.
U.S. roster: Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Jordan Spieth, Jimmy Walker, Bubba Watson.
Tiger Tales: Tiger Woods is not in the Ryder Cup for only the second time in his career. The last time he didn't play because of injury (2008) was the last time the United States won.
Key statistic: The Americans have three Ryder Cup rookies, their fewest since 2002.
Noteworthy: The United States has not won the Ryder Cup in Europe since 1993, the last time Tom Watson was the captain. Watson (65) will be the oldest captain in Ryder Cup history.
Quoteworthy: "Nobody is going to expect us to win. But I fully expect us to win." — U.S. captain Tom Watson.
Television (all times EDT): Friday, 2:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Golf Channel. Saturday, 3 a.m. to 1 p.m., NBC Sports; Sunday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT, NBC Sports.
Golf Channel and NBC Ryder Cup Programming Guide.
By Golf channel Digital
The 40thRyder Cup won’t be short on drama as Europe and the United States go head-to-head in Scotland at Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course. Anchored by Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer and Ian Poulter, reigning champion Team Europe will seek to defend its title. Meanwhile, Team USA will search for redemption from 2012’s stunning loss at Medinah with the help of Ryder Cup veterans Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar and Ryder Cup rookie Jordan Spieth.
Throughout the week, Golf Channel and NBC are set to deliver 85.5 hours of coverage. Morning Drive kicks off Ryder Cup week with Ryder Cup analysis and interviews on Monday at 7AM ET on Golf Channel. Live From the Ryder Cup, beginning Monday at 10AM ET and continuing throughout the week on Golf Channel, will feature news, highlights, analysis, news conferences and the Opening and Closing ceremonies.
Golf Channel and NBC will provide live coverage of the Ryder Cup matches beginning Friday at 2:30AM ET on Golf Channel and continuing through the Final Day on NBC. Debuting this year will be Golf Channel’s Ryder Cup Alternate Shot, which will complement NBC’s live weekend coverage. Hosted by David Feherty and Gary Williams, Ryder Cup Alternate Shot will feature lively discussion and analysis of the matches.
Watch live streaming of Ryder Cup week programming on Golf Channel via Golf Live Extra. Visit GolfChannel.com’s Ryder Cup Hub to keep up with the latest news, stories and highlights.
Follow Golf Channel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and take part in the social conversation using hashtags #RyderCup, #TeamUSA and #TeamEurope.
Golf Channel & NBC Ryder Cup Programming Guide:
Monday, September 22
Morning Drive: 7-9AM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup: 10-11AM ET; 7PM-8:30PM ET
Tuesday, September 23
Live From the Ryder Cup: 6AM-2PM ET
Wednesday, September 24
Live From the Ryder Cup: 6AM-2PM ET
Thursday, September 25
Live From the Ryder Cup: 6-9AM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup (Opening Ceremony): 9AM-1PM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup: 10PM-2:30AM ET
Friday, September 26
Ryder Cup – Day 1: 2:30AM-1PM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup: 1-4PM
Saturday, September 27
Live From the Ryder Cup: Midnight-3AM ET
Ryder Cup – Day 2 (NBC): 3AM-1PM ET
Ryder Cup Alternate Shot: 3AM-11:30AM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup: 1-4PM ET
Sunday, September 28
Live From the Ryder Cup: 5AM-7AM ET
Ryder Cup – Final Day (NBC): 7AM-1PM ET
Ryder Cup Alternate Shot: 7AM-11:30AM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup (Closing Ceremony): 1PM-4PM ET
Golf Channel and NBC Ryder Cup Programming Guide.
By Golf channel Digital
The 40thRyder Cup won’t be short on drama as Europe and the United States go head-to-head in Scotland at Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course. Anchored by Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer and Ian Poulter, reigning champion Team Europe will seek to defend its title. Meanwhile, Team USA will search for redemption from 2012’s stunning loss at Medinah with the help of Ryder Cup veterans Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar and Ryder Cup rookie Jordan Spieth.
Throughout the week, Golf Channel and NBC are set to deliver 85.5 hours of coverage. Morning Drive kicks off Ryder Cup week with Ryder Cup analysis and interviews on Monday at 7AM ET on Golf Channel. Live From the Ryder Cup, beginning Monday at 10AM ET and continuing throughout the week on Golf Channel, will feature news, highlights, analysis, news conferences and the Opening and Closing ceremonies.
Golf Channel and NBC will provide live coverage of the Ryder Cup matches beginning Friday at 2:30AM ET on Golf Channel and continuing through the Final Day on NBC. Debuting this year will be Golf Channel’s Ryder Cup Alternate Shot, which will complement NBC’s live weekend coverage. Hosted by David Feherty and Gary Williams, Ryder Cup Alternate Shot will feature lively discussion and analysis of the matches.
Watch live streaming of Ryder Cup week programming on Golf Channel via Golf Live Extra. Visit GolfChannel.com’s Ryder Cup Hub to keep up with the latest news, stories and highlights.
Follow Golf Channel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and take part in the social conversation using hashtags #RyderCup, #TeamUSA and #TeamEurope.
Golf Channel & NBC Ryder Cup Programming Guide:
Monday, September 22
Morning Drive: 7-9AM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup: 10-11AM ET; 7PM-8:30PM ET
Tuesday, September 23
Live From the Ryder Cup: 6AM-2PM ET
Wednesday, September 24
Live From the Ryder Cup: 6AM-2PM ET
Thursday, September 25
Live From the Ryder Cup: 6-9AM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup (Opening Ceremony): 9AM-1PM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup: 10PM-2:30AM ET
Friday, September 26
Ryder Cup – Day 1: 2:30AM-1PM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup: 1-4PM
Saturday, September 27
Live From the Ryder Cup: Midnight-3AM ET
Ryder Cup – Day 2 (NBC): 3AM-1PM ET
Ryder Cup Alternate Shot: 3AM-11:30AM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup: 1-4PM ET
Sunday, September 28
Live From the Ryder Cup: 5AM-7AM ET
Ryder Cup – Final Day (NBC): 7AM-1PM ET
Ryder Cup Alternate Shot: 7AM-11:30AM ET
Live From the Ryder Cup (Closing Ceremony): 1PM-4PM ET
Rory McIlroy ready to take on all U.S. comers at Ryder Cup.
By Ryan Ballengee
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during the final round of the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola at the East Lake Golf Club on September 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy knows he has a target on his back at next week's Ryder Cup. A two-time major winner this season, McIlroy is the de facto leader of the European side looking for a third consecutive win. The Ulsterman said Thursday he's happy to take on any player American captain Tom Watson sends out to be his foil.
“Whoever they want to send out against me, it’s no problem to me,” McIlroy said in an appearance for sponsor Santander in London. “I want to lead from the front and by example, and I’m confident enough in the way I am playing right now to do that.”
McIlroy realizes any time he doesn't walk away from a match with a full point will be a disappointment for him and, more critically, a big moral boost to the American side.
“I know I will have a target on my back but I love that and I am going to play up to it as much as I can,” he said. “It’s a massive compliment whenever the opposition are talking about you. I know what a huge fillip it would be for them if I lose, but it is up to me to make sure it doesn’t happen.”
The 25-year-old will likely play in all five sessions over the three-day event. McIlroy said he's happy to partner with countryman Graeme McDowell, who has been a good partner with him in the last two Ryder Cups. McIlroy downplayed the impact on their relationship of an ongoing lawsuit McIlroy filed against their once-shared representation, Horizon Sports Management. McDowell announced earlier this summer he'd be tending to his own representation at year's end.
"I’d love to play with G-Mac," McIlroy said. "I think everyone can see the chemistry we have together and there’s no reason why it can’t be the same this time. We were both playing in Denver two weeks ago and went out to dinner together. There’s no problem between us."
NASCAR: Logano wins at New Hampshire in second Chase race.
CBSSports.com wire reports
Joey Logano celebrates on the track where he saw his first NASCAR race. (USATSI)
Raised in Connecticut, Joey Logano always considered New Hampshire his home track, the one where he dreamed of being bathed in confetti in Victory Lane and flocked by family and friends.
The staggering number of cautions slowed the 300-mile race and wrecked the chances for several Chase drivers to contend for a win. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Hamlin and Matt Kenseth; Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne; and Stewart-Haas Racing's Kurt Busch all finished outside of the top 20.
Custer won Saturday's Camping World Truck Series race at New Hampshire, beating Bubba Wallace by 1.14 seconds. Custer dominated the race; he led 148 of the race's 175 laps. But he needed to pass Matt Crafton with four laps to go to take the victory.
Because of NASCAR's age limits in the Truck Series, Custer has been running a part-time schedule and Saturday's race was his seventh start. Drivers must be 16 to participate in trucks at tracks under 1.25 miles in length. Drivers can compete in a full season schedule at 18.
Manchester City 1-1 Chelsea: Frank Lampard shocks former club with late equalizer.
Duke, Clemson, Georgia Tech, BC and Pittsburgh are all receiving votes in this week's AP poll, while Clemson, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, BC and Louisville garnered votes in the Coaches poll.
1. Multiyear scholarships
A game with that many ups and downs will undoubtedly have a lot of points where the tide could have turned one way or another. One thing is for certain though, Jack Del Rio and his failure to account to Russell Wilson and inability to adjust to his roll-outs cost the Broncos a chance at a hard fought win on the road.
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Raised in Connecticut, Joey Logano always considered New Hampshire his home track, the one where he dreamed of being bathed in confetti in Victory Lane and flocked by family and friends.
For Logano, the track about 75 miles outside of Boston was his version of Daytona.
Winning at New Hampshire could mean a bit more to him than a boyhood fantasy fulfilled when the season ends -- it could be Logano's launching pad for his first NASCAR championship.
Logano helped Team Penske strengthen its grip as the organization to beat for the championship, pulling away on an overtime restart to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and advance to the second round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.
Make it 2 for 2 for Team Penske in the Chase.
"We're doing what we've got to do to win this thing right now," Logano said.
Logano and teammate Brad Keselowski, who won the Chase opener at Chicagoland, have both advanced to the next round. Four drivers will be eliminated after every third race, and a win guarantees a driver an automatic berth into the next round. The first cutoff race is next week at Dover International Speedway.
Team Penske will be playing with house money at the Monster Mile. Roger Penske's crew is rolling, winning four of the last five races dating to Bristol and snagging the early lead on the scorecard against Hendrick Motorsports.
"Confidence is high through the 22 team right now, all of Team Penske," Logano said. "All of Team Penske. We feel like we've got some championships to win, not only on the Cup side, but Nationwide side. And you've got IndyCar. We're just trying to catch up to them."
Will Power won the IndyCar Series championship for Penske last month.
Logano raced to his fourth victory of the season, leading 73 laps and surviving a NASCAR season-high 15 cautions that wrecked results for several Chase drivers.
He took the lead from Kevin Harvick with 27 laps left and went on to his seventh career Cup victory.
Logano attended his first NASCAR race at New Hampshire when he was 5, made his first career Cup start here and won his first race in 2009. But that was a rain-shortened win that always gnawed at Logano. Until he became a regular winner, it was considered a bit of a fluke and the rain meant Logano was denied a traditional victory celebration.
This time, he took No. 22 Ford for the celebratory burnouts and a spin around the track holding the checkered flag.
"I didn't know where Victory Lane was, actually," Logano said. "I just didn't want to come in. I want to stay out. I never got out in front of all the fans on the front straightaway before. It was just too cool."
Keselowski led 78 laps, hit the wall, and still was in the hunt for a win. The 2012 champion failed in his bid to win a third straight Cup race, though he salvaged a seventh-place finish.
"We certainly have a lot to be proud of, but there's a lot of work to do," Keselowski said.
Keselowski and Logano are 1-2 in the points standings. Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola are in the bottom four of the 16-driver field at and risk of getting cut next Sunday at Dover.
Rookie Kyle Larson was second at New Hampshire for his second top-three finish in two weeks. Chase drivers took seven of the first 10 spots at New Hampshire. Harvick was third, Jimmie Johnson fifth, Almirola sixth, Kyle Busch eighth, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10th.
"It's not all about winning and losing at this point. It's about advancing," said Harvick, who led a race-high 104 laps.
Make it 2 for 2 for Team Penske in the Chase.
"We're doing what we've got to do to win this thing right now," Logano said.
Logano and teammate Brad Keselowski, who won the Chase opener at Chicagoland, have both advanced to the next round. Four drivers will be eliminated after every third race, and a win guarantees a driver an automatic berth into the next round. The first cutoff race is next week at Dover International Speedway.
Team Penske will be playing with house money at the Monster Mile. Roger Penske's crew is rolling, winning four of the last five races dating to Bristol and snagging the early lead on the scorecard against Hendrick Motorsports.
"Confidence is high through the 22 team right now, all of Team Penske," Logano said. "All of Team Penske. We feel like we've got some championships to win, not only on the Cup side, but Nationwide side. And you've got IndyCar. We're just trying to catch up to them."
Will Power won the IndyCar Series championship for Penske last month.
Logano raced to his fourth victory of the season, leading 73 laps and surviving a NASCAR season-high 15 cautions that wrecked results for several Chase drivers.
He took the lead from Kevin Harvick with 27 laps left and went on to his seventh career Cup victory.
Logano attended his first NASCAR race at New Hampshire when he was 5, made his first career Cup start here and won his first race in 2009. But that was a rain-shortened win that always gnawed at Logano. Until he became a regular winner, it was considered a bit of a fluke and the rain meant Logano was denied a traditional victory celebration.
This time, he took No. 22 Ford for the celebratory burnouts and a spin around the track holding the checkered flag.
"I didn't know where Victory Lane was, actually," Logano said. "I just didn't want to come in. I want to stay out. I never got out in front of all the fans on the front straightaway before. It was just too cool."
Keselowski led 78 laps, hit the wall, and still was in the hunt for a win. The 2012 champion failed in his bid to win a third straight Cup race, though he salvaged a seventh-place finish.
"We certainly have a lot to be proud of, but there's a lot of work to do," Keselowski said.
Keselowski and Logano are 1-2 in the points standings. Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola are in the bottom four of the 16-driver field at and risk of getting cut next Sunday at Dover.
Rookie Kyle Larson was second at New Hampshire for his second top-three finish in two weeks. Chase drivers took seven of the first 10 spots at New Hampshire. Harvick was third, Jimmie Johnson fifth, Almirola sixth, Kyle Busch eighth, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10th.
"It's not all about winning and losing at this point. It's about advancing," said Harvick, who led a race-high 104 laps.
The staggering number of cautions slowed the 300-mile race and wrecked the chances for several Chase drivers to contend for a win. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Hamlin and Matt Kenseth; Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne; and Stewart-Haas Racing's Kurt Busch all finished outside of the top 20.
Tony Stewart was 30th in his first race since he learned a grand jury will decide his fate in the fatal sprint car crash in upstate New York.
Other Chase drivers included: AJ Allmendinger was 13th, Roush Fenway Racing drivers Biffle and Carl Edwards were 16th and 17th, Ryan Newman 18th, Kenseth 21st, Kahne 23rd, and Gordon 26th.
Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota suffered from fuel woes and was later collected in a multicar wreck and will likely need a win at Dover to advance.
"It's going to be hard to do it without some help," Hamlin said.
Logano gave Ford its 12th win this season and 630th overall. About the only sour note was Penske's absence, who skipped the race because of an overseas business trip. But The Captain was filled in on the news that his driver won a race -- which almost seems like a guarantee these days.
"We've got to keep our eye on the prize and think about the big trophy at the end," Logano said.
Cole Custer wins Truck race, becomes youngest NASCAR winner ever.
Nick Bromberg
16-year-old Cole Custer is now the youngest NASCAR winner.
Custer won Saturday's Camping World Truck Series race at New Hampshire, beating Bubba Wallace by 1.14 seconds. Custer dominated the race; he led 148 of the race's 175 laps. But he needed to pass Matt Crafton with four laps to go to take the victory.
Just to reinforce how young Custer is and perhaps make you feel old, he was born January 23, 1998.
Because of NASCAR's age limits in the Truck Series, Custer has been running a part-time schedule and Saturday's race was his seventh start. Drivers must be 16 to participate in trucks at tracks under 1.25 miles in length. Drivers can compete in a full season schedule at 18.
Erik Jones, who was competing in Saturday's race, was previously the youngest winner. He was 17 when he won at Phoenix last year.
Custer is the son of Joe Custer, an EVP at Stewart-Haas Racing. He was the youngest winner in the K&N Series, a NASCAR feeder series, last year when he won 15-years-old at Iowa and New Hampshire. He first drove a quarter-midget car at 4 and started driving late models at 14. He won 10 races as a 14-year-old, including in his first start at I-10 Speedway.
Manchester City 1-1 Chelsea: Frank Lampard shocks former club with late equalizer.
By NBC Sports
Frank Lampard said before the season he didn’t want to play against Chelsea out of respect.
So much for respect.
The Chelsea legend came off the bench for his new club and scored with five minutes to go as 10-man Manchester City salvaged a point despite losing Pablo Zabaleta.
The game began slow, as both teams looked to feel the other out in a tactical chess match.
It got physical early and often, as a battle between Diego Costa and Vincent Kompany developed right off the bat, which the defender won throughout the first half to set the tone for the match.
The story of the first half was the physicality, which not only brought about the aforementioned bout, but also produced yellow cards galore. Pablo Zabaleta, Ramires, Cesc Fabregas, David Silva, and Yaya Toure all picked up first-half cautions from referee Mike Dean for reckless and clumsy challenges.
The best chances in the opening half hour were penalty shouts, as Yaya Toure possibly handled a free kick as the ball twisted towards the goal but it wasn’t enough for Mike Dean. Later, Costa brought down Edin Dzeko with a tackle reaching around his back, but again it wasn’t enough.
Neither attack had much life to it as both sides were clearly more concerned with defending. David Silva got the start ahead of Samir Nasri, but his set pieces were quite poor throughout the first half.
Ultimately the match reached the halftime break scoreless and begging for a goal to open things up.
Finally a shot on goal came close after the break, but it still failed to test the goalkeeper. Fernandinho came close with a rip to the top corner but it went just over. That began a good spell for Manchester City which saw Sergio Aguero finally test Thibaut Courtois but he parried and Dzeko couldn’t reach the rebound.
As City continued to attack and Chelsea continued to defend and pump the ball to Costa, the home side was the one to lose a man, which was coming since early in the first half. Zabaleta scythed down the Brazilian striker, and after a scuffle between the two, Mike Dean showed both men a yellow card which provided Zabaleta’s marching orders for his second.
With the man advantage, Chelsea wasted no time using it to their advantage and moving from a defensive minded style to proving deadly on the counter. Costa sliced up City’s midfield, and he found Eden Hazard on the wing who delivered a brilliant ball across the box to Andre Shurrle waiting at the far post for the tap in with 20 minutes to go.
The manner in which Chelsea flipped the switch from defensive to attacking after the sending off gave the appearance they were much more in control of the match, until Frank Lampard happened.
The 35-year-old came on the field with 12 minutes to go and wrote the story, because of course. A beautiful bit of build up which we hadn’t seen all match saw a long ball chipped over the Chelsea defense found James Milner on the edge of the box, and he touched across to Lampard who finished to the delight of the home crowd.
Chelsea would have gone five points clear at the top of the table, but instead they just grab one to put the Blues three ahead of Southampton. The point is even bigger for City, who would have found themselves seven points off the top with a loss, but they remain in the top seven with the salvage.
LINEUPS:
Manchester City: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Mangala, Kolarov (Lampard 78′); Milner, Fernandinho (Navas 73′), Toure, Silva; Aguero, Dzeko (Sagna 70′).
Goals: Lampard 85′
Discipline: Zabaleta (second yellow) 66′
Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Ramires (Schurrle 63′), Matic; Willian (Mikel 63′), Fabregas, Hazard; Diego Costa (Drogba 86′).
Goals: Schurrle 71′
Leicester City 5-3 Manchester United: Foxes complete comeback for the ages.
By NBC Sports
In a game to be remembered for years, Jamie Vardy capped a mind-boggling comeback by newly-promoted Leicester City as they came from 3-1 down to defeat a stunned Manchester United.
The Red Devils thought they’d built on their demolition of QPR last week by ripping up the Foxes as well, up 2-0 by the 16th minute and 3-1 just after halftime.
But the brilliant Vardy and his newly-promoted side then put together one of the most impressive 20 minutes of Premier League soccer we’ve seen this year as they equalized in minutes and scored the winner in emphatic fashion.
It was the Red Devils who proved the first beneficiaries of a spell of attacking ability on both ends, as three goals burst through in a six-minute span to start the game.
Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie combined to put Manchester United up early 1-0 as United’s newest member picked up his first assist for his new club and his Dutch strike partner grabbed his season’s first goal.
Falcao burst uncontested down the left flank and lofted in an easy cross to van Persie at the back post. Nobody marked the Dutchman, and he easily poked home the opener for his first goal of the year.
Then just three minutes later it was the other pair, as Angel Di Maria played a one-two with Wayne Rooney and finished a lovely chipped goal and a 2-0 lead before the 16th minute mark.
The former Real Madrid man motored through the midfield and found Rooney for a lay-off. His English teammate gave it back, and as the Argentinian winger plodded into the box he cut under the ball and sent it looping over Casper Schmeichel for a brilliant chip goal.
It appeared to be another easy day on the job for the new-look Manchester United squad, but it wouldn’t be as Leicester City makes a living on remaining in the back of the minds of top teams.
They hit back within two minutes as Leo Ulloa received a stellar cross from way out by the corner flag by Jamie Vardy and headed it powerfully past a frozen David De Gea.
Manchester United had some injury troubles as the first half dragged on, as Johnny Evans went down and immediately needed a substitute with what appeared to be a muscle issue. Minutes later, Di Maria went skidding down the hard border of the pitch under a challenge from Ritchie De Laet and needed treatment for scraping his hand and wrist.
The second half provided more of the same as Falcao clattered the crossbar four minutes after the break with a stunning blast that had easily beaten Schmeichel. It would be a precurser to another moment in the 57th minute with Di Maria firing on goal from outside the box, and the low strike was redirected hockey-style by Ander Herrera on its way through for a third goal.
But Leicester’s given Arsenal and Everton fits this season so far, and they weren’t out of it at all.
The impressive Vardy probably fouled Rafael on the break down the left, but after no call from Mark Clattenburg, Rafael’s frustration got the better of him, and he bodied Vardy down to which Clattenburg responded by giving a penalty. David Nugent finished powerfully from the spot, and Leicester were within one yet again.
This time, they’d find a way back. The penalty lifted the Foxes to the ascendency, and two minutes later their midfield maestro Esteban Cambiasso equalized by latching onto the ball in traffic in the box and slicing into the bottom corner. Manager Nigel Pearson was set to bring Cambiasso off when he scored, and right on cue he sent the substitute back to the bench.
The Foxes continued to swarm and it would eventually pay off for a goal to be remembered. Vardy went through all alone and made no mistake against De Gea one-on-one for the winner.
Ulloa added another as United crumbled meekly, with Tyler Blackett sent off for a last-man foul on Vardy, and Ulloa touched home the penalty as Manchester United had nothing left to offer.
Instead of jumping into the top seven in the table, Manchester United remain slumped in 11th place, while Leicester City makes it two wins in two to go above United into sixth place.
LINEUPS:
Leicester City: Schmeichel, De Laet, Morgan, Moore, Konchesky, Hammond, Cambiasso (King 71′), Nugent (James 75′), Drinkwater, Vardy (Schlupp 85′), Ulloa.
Goals: Ulloa 18′, 83′ (pen), Nugent (pen) 62′, Cambiasso 64′, Vardy 79′
Manchester United: De Gea; Rafael, Evans (Smalling 30′), Blackett, Rojo; Blind, Herrera, Di Maria (Mata 76′); Rooney; Falcao (Janazaj 72′), Van Persie.
Goals: Van Persie 13′, Di Maria 16′, Herrera 57′
Discipline: Blackett (straight red) 83′
Everton 2-3 Crystal Palace: Visitors overwhelm Goodson Park with deadly counters.
By NBC Sports
Crystal Palace saw little of the ball but did more when they had it as Everton fell to the table’s worst team as Crystal Palace proved lethal on the break in a 3-1 win at Goodison Park.
Mile Jedinak, Frazier Campbell, and Yannick Bolasie all scored to prove more than enough to cancel out Romelu Lukaku‘s early goal.
Everton started the brightest and thanks to the opposite from Palace, they went one-up almost immediately.
Romelu Lukaku finished off a blistering run with an easy tap past Julian Speroni inside nine minutes for the opener. It was well worked on first-touch passes from Leon Osman to James McCarthy who found a streaking Lukaku. The play cut right through the heart of the meek Palace midfield.
Everton continued to dominate, owning upwards of 80% of possession through the first half hour as Palace barely had a sniff of the ball, and certainly not in a dangerous position.
Osman himself almost had one himself, but his first-time shot from close range was parried and held by Speroni.
Unfortunately for the Toffees, a moment of stupidity on the other end allowed Palace a way back on the half-hour mark. Tim Howard appeared to be up to the run of Mile Jedinak, but just before Howard got to the edge of the box, McCarthy felled the Australian in the box and it was given a penalty. He buried it into the top corner himself, sending Howard the wrong way for the early equalizer.
The home side regained their possession supremacy, and looked to pump balls into the box for Lukaku, which nearly worked on a number of occasions.
Unfortunately after the halftime break, it broke down for the Toffees again on a mistake by Howard. Martin Kelly built down the right flank and lofted in a long but accurate cross. Frazier Campbell was waiting, and he clattered into Howard who failed to collect cleanly. It ricoched off Campbell’s head and bungled into the net for a 2-1 Palace lead.
It would go from bad to worse for Everton as Palace grew in confidence with their lead. Jason Puncheon found Yannick Bolasie on the break, and the latter converted a sliding low finish past Howard to seal the win.
Everton will be disappointed with the defeat, having clearly dominated the game early and still finishing with a 75-25 advantage in the possession game and 7 corners to Palace’s 1, but they were much less incisive on the day overall. They pulled one back late as Leighton Baines picked up a goal with seven minutes to go but it was little more than a consolation as Julian Speroni made some good saves late to preserve the win.
The victory for Palace means the league’s bottom two teams starting the day both won, and they come off the bottom to join West Brom outside the relegation zone. Everton remain in 13th with the loss.
LINEUPS:
Everton: Howard; Baines, Jagielka, Distin, Stones (Mirallas 64′); Barry, McCarthy, Osman, Atsu, Eto’o, Lukaku.
Goals: Lukaku 9′, Baines 83′
Crystal Palace: Speroni; Kelly, Dann, Delaney, Ward; Puncheon, McArthur, Jedinak, Ledley, Bolasie, Campbell.
Goals: Jedinak 30′ (pen), Campbell 54′, Bolasie 69′
College Football Rankings Week 5: AP Top 25, Coaches Top 25, Sagarin Top 25.
By Brian Favat
The Eagles are up to (the equivalent of) 34th in the AP poll and 39th in the Coaches.
The Boston College football team continues to receive just a little bit of love in both major college football polls this week. The Eagles received 19 votes in the AP poll -- the equivalent of 34th place -- and seven votes in the Coaches Poll, once again good for a tie with North Carolina State at 39th. BC picked up three more votes in the Coaches Poll this week, but three less in the AP poll.
From the ACC, Florida State retains its #1 ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls this week with its 23-17 overtime victory over Clemson. The Tigers, ranked 22nd in the AP and 24th in the Coaches last week, have exited both polls this week after falling to 1-2 on the year. The only other ACC representative in either poll is Duke at #23 in the Coaches Poll (the Blue Devils are the first team out of this week's AP poll at #26). Pretty brutal weekend for the ACC, which saw several programs on the cusp of the top 25 -- Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, North Carolina -- all go down in week 4.
| AP | Coaches | Sagarin | |
| 1 | Florida State | Florida State | Alabama |
| 2 | Oregon | Alabama | Oklahoma |
| 3 | Alabama | Oklahoma | Auburn |
| 4 | Oklahoma | Oregon | Oregon |
| 5 | Auburn | Auburn | Texas A&M |
| 6 | Texas A&M | Baylor | Georgia |
| 7 | Baylor | Texas A&M | Florida State |
| 8 | Notre Dame | Notre Dame | Baylor |
| 9 | Michigan State | Michigan State | Michigan State |
| 10 | Ole Miss | UCLA | LSU |
| 11 | UCLA | Ole Miss | UCLA |
| 12 | Georgia | Arizona State | Notre Dame |
| 13 | South Carolina | Georgia | Wisconsin |
| 14 | Mississippi State | Stanford | Stanford |
| 15 | Arizona State | South Carolina | Ole Miss |
| 16 | Stanford | Mississippi State | USC |
| 17 | LSU | Wisconsin | Ohio State |
| 18 | USC | LSU | Kansas State |
| 19 | Wisconsin | Nebraska | Clemson |
| 20 | BYU | Ohio State | Oklahoma State |
| 21 | Nebraska | BYU | South Carolina |
| 22 | Ohio State | USC | Florida |
| 23 | East Carolina | Duke | Mississippi State |
| 24 | Oklahoma State | East Carolina | Arizona State |
| 25 | Kansas State | Kansas State | BYU |
Senators express frustration to 65 presidents over NCAA progress.
By Jon Solomon
Three U.S. Senators sent letters Thursday to the presidents of the 65 universities that comprise the five major conferences seeking answers on how they treat college athletes.
The letter written by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said the senators have grown “increasingly frustrated with the lack of meaningful progress by the NCAA and its member institutions.” The senators asked the presidents to answer 21 questions on various topics ranging from multiyear scholarships to campus violence.
Because the five major conferences now have autonomy to create their own rules, “you now possess the authority” to create reform in college sports, the senators wrote to the university presidents.
“As such, we intend to monitor your progress to see whether the very schools and conferences that are often blamed for much of the problems plaguing intercollegiate athletics today effectively utilize the new flexibility you have been granted to implement meaningful reforms to better protect student-athletes,” the letter states.
Rockefeller chaired a Senate committee hearing on July 9 in which NCAA President Mark Emmert appeared. At the time, Rockefeller and some other senators expressed frustration at some of Emmert's answers.
On Thursday, Rockefeller, McCaskill and Booker asked all 65 university presidents in the Power 5 conferences to answer questions related to these topics by Oct. 17. The Power 5 conferences have until Oct. 1 to submit the first round of autonomy legislation that could be passed in January.
The letter written by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said the senators have grown “increasingly frustrated with the lack of meaningful progress by the NCAA and its member institutions.” The senators asked the presidents to answer 21 questions on various topics ranging from multiyear scholarships to campus violence.
Because the five major conferences now have autonomy to create their own rules, “you now possess the authority” to create reform in college sports, the senators wrote to the university presidents.
“As such, we intend to monitor your progress to see whether the very schools and conferences that are often blamed for much of the problems plaguing intercollegiate athletics today effectively utilize the new flexibility you have been granted to implement meaningful reforms to better protect student-athletes,” the letter states.
Rockefeller chaired a Senate committee hearing on July 9 in which NCAA President Mark Emmert appeared. At the time, Rockefeller and some other senators expressed frustration at some of Emmert's answers.
On Thursday, Rockefeller, McCaskill and Booker asked all 65 university presidents in the Power 5 conferences to answer questions related to these topics by Oct. 17. The Power 5 conferences have until Oct. 1 to submit the first round of autonomy legislation that could be passed in January.
1. Multiyear scholarships
a. Does your university currently provide, or will it provide, multiyear or four-year scholarships to student-athletes? If so, please explain any and all applicable qualifiers, conditions, and limitations to such scholarships?
b. Will your university support reforming NCAA policies to require the provision of multiyear or four-year scholarships to student-athletes?
c. Does your university currently provide permanent student-athlete scholarships that are not revoked once a player is injured while participating in a sanctioned sports-related event? If not, explain why.
2. Completion of Coursework
a. Does your university currently allow or plan to allow student-athletes to complete all coursework, at no cost to the student-athletes, in order to acquire an academic degree after they exhaust their eligibility to participate in athletics? If so, please provide any and all applicable qualifiers, conditions and limitations.
b. Will your university support reforming NCAA policies to require all schools to allow student-athletes to complete coursework toward an academic degree after they exhaust their athletic eligibility?
3. Health Care
a. Does your university currently provide, or will it provide, comprehensive health care coverage to student-athletes — during their time at your institution and afterwards — for all sports-related injuries? If so, please provide details on the scope of the coverage, such as cost-sharing and the length of time such coverage will be provided. Also indicate when the university began offering or will begin to offer such coverage.
b. Will your university support NCAA policies that mandate all schools provide comprehensive health coverage for sports-related injuries?
4. Concussions
a. Has your university adopted and enforced, or will it adopt and enforce, protocols that minimize the risk of sports-related head injuries? If so, please provide details on such protocols and how the university currently monitors and enforces, or plans to monitor and enforce, strict compliance.
b. Will your university support strict, enforceable NCAA rules that minimize the dangers of sports-related head injuries?
5. Time limitations on Athletic Activity
a. Does your university currently enforce, or have plans to enforce, strict time limitations on athletics-related activities, including playing time, practice times, and team meetings, in order to allow student-athletes to spend more time on academics and other activities, such as internships and working in a job? If so, please provide details on what those limitations are or will be, and provide details how the university will monitor and enforce strict compliance.
b. Will your university support strict NCAA enforcement of existing time limitation rules and/or the adoption of new, stronger, and enforceable rules that limit time spent on athletic activities?
6. Academic Progress
a. Does your university currently monitor or have plans to monitor the academic progress of student-athletes to maximize their chances at academic achievement? If so, please provide details on how you currently monitor or will monitor their progress, how the university provides or plans to provide all necessary resources, and how the university appropriately tailors the curricula to meet individual needs.
b. Will your university support NCAA policies to better monitor the progress of student-athletes, including after they exhaust their eligibility, and to require institutions to maximize academic achievement (with sufficient resources and appropriately tailored curricula) or to prohibit harmful practices that burden academic achievement?
7. Cost of Attendance
a. Does your university currently provide or plan to provide financial-aid packages (including scholarships) to student-athletes that cover the full cost of attendance? If so, please provide details on how you calculate the full cost of attendance.
b. Will your university support reforming NCAA policies to provide all student-athletes with financial-aid packages that cover the full cost of attendance?
8. Financial Compensation
a. What is your university's position on allowing college athletes to seek some amount of financial compensation stemming from their athletic services — such as for merchandise that use athletes' names or likenesses, autographs, or other types of revenue-generating activities — similar to how Olympic athletes are compensated? If your university would allow such compensation, please provide details on the scope and nature of such activities for which student-athletes would be allowed to seek financial compensation.
b. Do you intend to seek to reform NCAA policies to allow college athletes to seek similar financial compensation?
9. Due Process
a. Does your university provide student-athletes adequate information and resources, including but not limited to legal representation, to help student-athletes accused of violating NCAA rules navigate the complexities of NCAA procedure? If so, please provide details on the information and resources available to student-athletes.
b. Will your university support NCAA policies to provide student-athletes with due process and legal representation when facing NCAA investigations for alleged infractions?
10. Interpersonal Violence
a. Does your university have a uniform, campus-wide policy in place that is applicable to all students for investigating and adjudicating allegations of interpersonal violence, including but not limited to sexual assault and domestic violence?
b. Will your university support NCAA policies to require member institutions to develop uniform, campus-wide policies applicable to all students for the handling of allegations of interpersonal violence, including but not limited to sexual assault and domestic violence, and also support such policies prohibiting the involvement of athletic departments in such proceedings?
Note: Two points of view on the Denver Broncos lost to the Seattle Seahawks yesterday.
It's interesting that the reporter blames the overtime rules, (I truly doubt if he would have said anything if his team, the Broncos, had won), and a fan's blog; he blames the team's coaches. Please read these articles and share your opinion with us. CS&T Editorial Staff.
Note: Two points of view on the Denver Broncos lost to the Seattle Seahawks yesterday.
It's interesting that the reporter blames the overtime rules, (I truly doubt if he would have said anything if his team, the Broncos, had won), and a fan's blog; he blames the team's coaches. Please read these articles and share your opinion with us. CS&T Editorial Staff.
NFL’s overtime rules are stupid: Both teams should get to touch the ball.
By Mark Kiszla, The Denver Post
All Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense could do was sit and watch as the Seahawks won the coin flip, then the game.
The winner of a classic football game should never be determined by pure, dumb luck.
Unlike the Super Bowl, the only difference Sunday between the Broncos and Seattle was a flip of the coin.
“We felt like we were the better team,” Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said.
Not to take anything away from the Seahawks’ 26-20 overtime victory against Denver, but if there’s anything we’ve learned from the NFL of late, it’s this: What’s fair got to do with anything in this league? And the more the rules change, the less we trust that justice is truly being served.
After Denver rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter on the road in the NFL’s rowdiest stadium, the silence of stunned Seahawks fans was deafening as quarterback Peyton Manning represented the Broncos on the coin flip to determine which team would get the football to begin overtime.
Manning called tails.
The Seahawks won.
NFL overtime rules are stupid.
“It puts a premium on the coin toss,” Manning said. “I called tails at the beginning of the game, and went with it again in overtime. It was heads, and it proved to be a significant call. But that’s the way it is. And you’d like to not leave it to that, leave it to get to that situation.”
Manning was forced to stand and watch as Seattle marched 80 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession of overtime. No doubt, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was fantastic on the winning drive. When a fierce 6-yard run by Marshawn Lynch gave sudden death to Denver’s remarkable comeback, Broncos linebacker Nate Irving and his defensive teammates were so emotionally stunned their feet no longer seemed to work.
Manning has become known in Denver, thanks to imaginative T-shirt makers and excitable fans, as PFM. Maybe I’ve finally figured out what those three letters mean: Pray for miracles.
In the hands of Manning, miracles happen.
While the NFL’s most beautiful mind was stumped by the Seahawks for the vast majority of four quarters and Denver’s offensive game plan appeared so simplistic you might have wondered if it had been written in crayon, Manning willed the Broncos 80 yards in the final 59 seconds to tie the game.
Manning hit a wide-open Jacob Tamme with a 26-yard pass for the TD, then found Demaryius Thomas to convert the essential two points.
Prayer answered.
“That’s what makes him Peyton Manning,” said Wilson, with obvious respect for one of the NFL’s elder statesmen. “That’s what makes him one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game.”
Then, however, Manning was forced to sit and watch overtime. Maybe NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should have bought Manning a pretzel and beer.
Unlike the Super Bowl, the only difference Sunday between the Broncos and Seattle was a flip of the coin.
“We felt like we were the better team,” Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said.
Not to take anything away from the Seahawks’ 26-20 overtime victory against Denver, but if there’s anything we’ve learned from the NFL of late, it’s this: What’s fair got to do with anything in this league? And the more the rules change, the less we trust that justice is truly being served.
After Denver rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter on the road in the NFL’s rowdiest stadium, the silence of stunned Seahawks fans was deafening as quarterback Peyton Manning represented the Broncos on the coin flip to determine which team would get the football to begin overtime.
Manning called tails.
The Seahawks won.
NFL overtime rules are stupid.
“It puts a premium on the coin toss,” Manning said. “I called tails at the beginning of the game, and went with it again in overtime. It was heads, and it proved to be a significant call. But that’s the way it is. And you’d like to not leave it to that, leave it to get to that situation.”
Manning was forced to stand and watch as Seattle marched 80 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession of overtime. No doubt, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was fantastic on the winning drive. When a fierce 6-yard run by Marshawn Lynch gave sudden death to Denver’s remarkable comeback, Broncos linebacker Nate Irving and his defensive teammates were so emotionally stunned their feet no longer seemed to work.
Manning has become known in Denver, thanks to imaginative T-shirt makers and excitable fans, as PFM. Maybe I’ve finally figured out what those three letters mean: Pray for miracles.
In the hands of Manning, miracles happen.
While the NFL’s most beautiful mind was stumped by the Seahawks for the vast majority of four quarters and Denver’s offensive game plan appeared so simplistic you might have wondered if it had been written in crayon, Manning willed the Broncos 80 yards in the final 59 seconds to tie the game.
Manning hit a wide-open Jacob Tamme with a 26-yard pass for the TD, then found Demaryius Thomas to convert the essential two points.
Prayer answered.
“That’s what makes him Peyton Manning,” said Wilson, with obvious respect for one of the NFL’s elder statesmen. “That’s what makes him one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game.”
Then, however, Manning was forced to sit and watch overtime. Maybe NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should have bought Manning a pretzel and beer.
Take a bow Broncos coaching staff, you cost your team the game.
By Bronco Mike, Fan's blog
Let's start with the offense - The Good
There wasn't a lot of good. Their first possession they moved the ball well. Manning worked the outside areas of the field and they remained patient. On 3rd down Manning missed Julius Thomas in the end zone and they kicked a field goal. That would be the last time the Broncos sniffed points until the 4th quarter when the defense got a crucial turnover in Seahawk territory.
In the end, it was good for the Broncos to have their backs against the wall because Manning just winged it downfield. Here's your first lesson on coaching. Seattle went prevent and allowed the Broncos the deep passes down the field they successfully guarded all game.
In the end we learned that the offensive line is slightly better against pressure than last year, but nothing more than a sieve in the running game. On more than one occasion Montee Ball had to break a couple of tackles just to make it back to the line of scrimmage.
Let's continue with the offense - The Bad
Demaryius Thomas is hurt and his play is showing it. Drops, bad routes, he's hurting more than he has let on. Kid is a warrior but he has to heal up.
Montee Ball fumbled yet again setting up the Seattle offense for an easy three early in the game.
Peyton Manning was a bit off all game. The rush got in his head because we saw the same inaccuracies that we witnessed in the Super Bowl. He had no business throwing the ball down the seem into the double coverage of Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas. He failed to get into a rhythm.
Adam Gase/Peyton Manning. I want to blame Manning but it seemed like a game plan decision going into the game. The Broncos seemed resolved to run the ball on 3rd and long. I'm ok with the thinking, why let that pass rush tee off on your QB and risk a turnover? The problem is, they were fine with running on 1st or 2nd down creating that same long distance issue they were trying to avoid.
The running game is broken, period. These guys were beaten time after time after time. 16 carries, 40 yards. Good luck explaining to me that the line is trending upward CH74;)
Random thoughts
It was said during the game that the loss of Virgil Green had major implications on the Broncos offensive game plan. You know what Virgil Green does? He blocks. If the Broncos coaching staff were prepared, they could have kept a 4th blocking TE on the roster, you know in case someone got hurt.
Defense-the good
So much heart. This defense singlehandedly kept this team in the game and they are the reason the Broncos even had a shot at the end. Russell Wilson beat great coverage with a perfect deep pass against Talib.
Von Miller played out of his mind. I'll tell you this, Russell Wilson has never been chased that much in his life.
They forced a safety to spark some life into the team, and followed up with a game turning interception that allowed the offense to score. This defense played lights out......soooo who's to blame?
Jack Del Rio
You're playing one of the best running QB's in the game. Someone who scrambles and runs the bootleg to perfection.
SO WHERE IS THE SPY TO KEEP HIS ASS IN CHECK ON 3RD DOWNS?
Not only that....that final Seahawk drive, they ran the same play....over and over and over again. You have two timeouts and your defense is tired. Call one. Find out a strategy to put someone LIKE VON MILLER to spy Wilson exclusively.
Have one of your cover guys trail the underneath route on that bootleg so it's not so wide open every time.
And when you're playing a two-minute defense at the half, please give up the prevent bullshit. You now have multiple examples of how it works.
Looking back, you have to realize that the Broncos miss Danny Trevathan and his speed on the edge, but that's no excuse for rushing pressure up the middle and having no spy on Wilson as he scrambles to his right at will for first down after first down.
That planning just flat out sucked and it cost us a game.
Where to go from here?
I'm glad the offense found some life and stoned up but they played a terrible game and Peyton Manning was front and center. The defense had it's bad game last week, the offense had it's bad game this week. Now they have a bye and some time to reflect and get better.
The first place to start is by taking responsibility. Each and every one from the coaches on down needs to examine what they bring to the table and how they can help this team win games. If the things they are doing do not fall into either of those categories, then it needs to be cut away like cancer.
The ending makes the game more palatable, but overall, I feel largely like I did last week. This team has massive improvements to make before the tournament begins and there is plenty of time to do so. It starts first and foremost with the coaches. They are keeping this team from becoming something great.
In the grand scheme of things, the Broncos slugged it out with a team that dominated them on the biggest stage. They stood toe to toe and dished out punishment of their own. I suppose if you're going to lose, you might as well lose on the road in overtime to the defending World Champions.
Denver is no push-over, they are just poorly guided.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, September 22, 2014.
MemoriesofHistory.com
1927 - In Chicago, IL, Gene Tunney successfully defended his heavyweight boxing title against Jack Dempsey in the famous "long-count" fight.
1934 - The NHL approved a new rule that allowed the awarding of penalty shots.
1968 - Cesar Tovar became the second major league baseball player to play all nine positions in one game.
1969 - Willie Mays hit his 600th career home run.
2006 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) tied Hank Aaron's National League home run record when he hit is 733rd.
1934 - The NHL approved a new rule that allowed the awarding of penalty shots.
1968 - Cesar Tovar became the second major league baseball player to play all nine positions in one game.
1969 - Willie Mays hit his 600th career home run.
2006 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) tied Hank Aaron's National League home run record when he hit is 733rd.
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